Last month, our Norwegian partner LapcoNor delivered a week-long colorectal surgery course in Oslo, marking a significant milestone: 10 years of Lapco Train the Trainer (TT) in Norway. The course included full delivery of the Lapco TT methodology entirely in Norwegian, led by Lapco-trained LapcoNor faculty, and remains mandatory for all residents seeking approval as GI surgeons in Norway.
After 10 years of delivering Lapco TT, I can confidently say that Lapco’s method is highly valuable and brings a transformative, pragmatic approach to surgical training.
Lars Thomas Seeberg, LapcoNor Faculty member
A decade of collaboration and growth
LapcoNor was established in 2015 when the Norwegian Health Authority partnered with Lapco International UK to standardise laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery training nationwide. The partnership began with eight specialist surgeons and three nurses travelling to the UK to complete Lapco’s TT courses.
Since then:
-20 TT courses have been delivered in Norway
-179 delegates have been trained
What started as a small cohort learning from UK faculty has evolved into a fully independent, sustainable national programme, delivered by local experts.
Advancing surgical education worldwide
Lapco’s mission is to improve surgical performance globally through scalable, high-quality training. This is achieved by building local faculty capacity, supporting nationally driven programmes, and training “Lapco ambassadors” to deliver courses independently, overcoming language barriers while ensuring cost-effective growth. Rigorous certification and ongoing global support help maintain consistent standards of excellence.
LapcoNor’s success is a powerful example of what long-term international collaboration can achieve. Congratulations to the LapcoNor team on another outstanding course and on 10 years of impact.